New York State Summer Food Service Program Report Released

New York State Summer Food Service Program Report Released

July 26, 2019

This report was produced by Hunger Solutions New York, a service and advocacy agency for increasing the efficacy and spread of anti-hunger efforts in New York state. The report examines the extent of participation in Federal summer food programs which are intended to bridge the loss of access to school meal programs during summer months. The data analyzed are from 2017.

The report indicates that statewide an additional $19.5 million in Federal meal reimbursements would have occurred during July and August 2017. Access gaps persist, with less than 1 in 3 eligible children having access to summer lunch through the Summer Food Service Program. Access tapering in mid-August due to site closures may have contributed to this, as there remains a ~3 week gap between site closures and the start of school.

A significant gap between partiicpation in New York City and the rest of the state exists, with 36% of children eligible for reduced-price or free meals during the school year participating in the city, and only 17% upstate.

Many children who participate in the lunch program do not participate in the breakfast program, with an estimated ~100,000 child difference in participation rates. The full report may be accessed here.